This invention relates to a package for moist tissues or towelettes and, more particularly, to a dispensing container for moist tissues formed as a stack from a continuous elongated sheet of connected tissue sections separated by tear perforations and folded in a zig zag pattern.
The dispensing of moisturized tissues, cloths or towelettes from a container has been the subject matter in various prior art patents. For example, Margulies in U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,507 discloses a cylindrical container which is designed to hold a roll of pre-moistened towels. The towels are apparently removed from the container by directing the free end from the center of the cylindrical roll through an opening in the top of the cylindrical container or canister. Bonk in U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,912 discloses a dispenser wherein the outside end of a roll of moistened towels is dispensed from a rectangular dispenser. The towels on the roll are dispensed from the outside of the roll as the roll unwinds through a slot in the top of the dispenser. Holtsch in U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,905 discloses a square container wherein a folded stack of pre-moistened towels are dispensed through an opening in the top lid of the container. The pre-moistened, square shape towels are connected together at their corners.
Duhy and Jones in U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,045 disclose a rectangular container used to dispense liquid saturated, separate, folded disposable towels through a shaped center dispensing slot in the container. Dailey in U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,064 discloses a flexible dispenser packet for dispensing pre-moistened towelettes interfolded and removeable one at a time through an opening configured in the top of the flexible package. Similar dispensing packets are disclosed in Julius, U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,493 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,754. Harrison in U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,043 discloses yet another package for pre-moistened towelettes wherein the towelettes are interfolded. Similarly, Spruyt, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,056 discloses a moisture impermeable package which includes a flexible container and a discharge slit in the top surface for removal of moist towelettes from the container.
The identified prior art patents disclose useful packages for the purpose of discharging or dispensing pre-moistened towelettes from either a continuous roll or alternatively as separate, interfolded, pre-moistened, rectangular towelettes. Nonetheless, there has remained the need for an improved dispensing system for moist towelettes, especially towelettes from a continuous, elongated sheet which does not require expensive cutting and interfolding machinery.